The deadly brain-eating amoeba has claimed yet another life; this time a 14-year-old star athlete. Michael John Riley Jr., a Houston teen, was just days away from his first day of high school.
Michael may have only been 14 years old, but the star athlete had already qualified for the Junior Olympics three times for track. The teen was swimming with his cross-country team at the Sam Houston State Park on August 13 when he contracted the amoeba, Naegleria fowleri.
In just a matter of days, Michael’s bad headache took a turn for the worse, and he lost all brain function. The teen passed away on Sunday.
Infections from Naegleria fowleri are rare, but when they do occur, they are often fatal. This single-cell organism can cause an infection in the brain. Naegleria fowleri is typically found in bodies of fresh water, such as hot springs, lakes and rivers. While naturally found in most ponds, rivers and lakes, these organisms multiply rapidly in stagnant, warm water.
People can get infected by simply diving or swimming in infected bodies of water. While it can occur, it’s extremely rare for people to become infected by swimming in a pool. People can also become infected by drinking contaminated drinking water. The infection is not contagious.
While concerning, brain-eating amoeba is very rare. Over the last 53 years, there have only been 133 documented cases of infection. Most of these cases have occurred in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Texas and Florida.
Although infections caused by Naegleria fowleri are rare, they are extremely deadly. Of the 133 documented cases, only three people survived.
Earlier this month, another man from Oklahoma died from the brain-eating amoeba after swimming in a lake in Ardmore. Last year, a 9-year-old child died in Kansas after swimming in multiple bodies of fresh water.